


Don't forget. Don't forget her.

by Werepirechick



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Hurt No Comfort, Loyalty, Mercy Killing, Sad Ending, Tragic Romance, True Love, Undead, Unhappy Ending, Unrequited Love, i cried a bit while writing this, just get ready to crack your hearts open and bleed folks, no happy ending in sight here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 08:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9876158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Werepirechick/pseuds/Werepirechick
Summary: Donnie tilts his head, looking at the bo staff in his hands. Why is he protecting her from the creatures anyways? Why does he care?Donnie feels hungry. He doesn’t remember when he last ate anything.He slowly looks at the breathing being beside him. He hears their soft breaths, their beating heart, smells their familiar warm scent-Donnie blinks, and remembers.April.





	

**Author's Note:**

> i watched Train To Busan last night, awesome movie, ya'll should check it out, and this came of it.
> 
> yay for zombie apocalypses! :D

 

 

Donnie’s limbs feel heavy, but he keeps moving forwards anyways. Breath stutters in and out of his lungs weakly, and he can vaguely hear a rasping sound follow each inhale he takes.

His bo staff hangs limply in his hand, tip hovering just above the ground. But, he knows that in a moment, he can grip it with strength again, and remove whatever blocks their path.

Someone walks beside him. Silent. Subdued. Scared. She’s scared.

Donnie doesn’t know why she’s scared. He doesn’t feel anything.

Something up ahead stumbles across their slow path, and she shrinks close to his side. Not too close though. She doesn’t like to touch him anymore.

Why is that?

Donnie can’t remember. He can’t remember a lot of things.

The creature- the one like Donnie but not like Donnie- ambles past them as they walk by. It doesn’t see them. Or rather, it doesn’t see April.

April. That’s her name. Sometimes Donnie forgets.

Even when he forgets, though, he doesn’t forget how important she is. He’s supposed to protect her. Bring her somewhere.

Where is that?

He’s forgotten again.

Donnie slowly looks down at April, and sees that she’s still clutching the object in her hand. One that produces light and sound. The one he made for her.

He’s forgotten how he made that object. Until this moment, he’d forgotten he _could_ make objects.

Donnie blinks sluggishly, and turns his eyes back to their road.

That doesn’t matter anymore. He doesn’t have to make things to keep her safe. He just has to keep walking, keep watching.

April will tell him when they need to change which way they’re walking, just like she has this whole time.

They’re going to meet someone. Someones. They’ll keep April safe, then, and maybe Donnie can rest finally.

He’s tired, but he’s not tired.

Donnie doesn’t remember the last time he rested.

April says something, almost too quiet to hear. Donnie looks at her and mumbles for her to say it again. She does, and Donnie sees the way she’s looking at him.

She’s scared still, even though the other creature is gone now.

Strange.

Donnie doesn’t remember what being scared feels like.

He doesn’t remember what anything feels like.

Donnie listens, and turns down the street April wants them to. They continue walking in silence, which is how it should be. Noise will bring creatures, creatures who are not Donnie and will hurt April.

Donnie doesn’t want April to get hurt. He doesn’t want her to become a creature.

They keep walking. Silent.

 

 

 

_He’s not attacking me. He’s just… watching._

_What do you mean?_

_I think_

_There’s still enough of him left to keep him going._

 

_Be careful, April. You don’t know if he’ll turn on you._

_I know. I know it’s just_

_He still looks like himself._

_Mostly._

_Scales make it hard to see our veins. The infection won’t be obvious with him._

_I know, Leo. I’m being careful._

_Just_

_Please hurry._

_We’re all worried about you._

April curls around her phone- that’s what it’s called, a phone- and Donnie keeps watch.

April is tucked into a sleeping bag, no pillow and still wearing her blood stained clothes. Her weapons are right beside her head, and the zipper to her bag is left undone. For easy reach and go, so they’re not caught.

April turns the screen of her phone off, and closes her eyes. Donnie hears her heart slow, and listens to her breathing get deeper.

He blinks in the darkness, seeing nothing without her light, but hearing everything.

If someone- something- tries to get her in her sleep, he’ll stop it. Give April enough to get up, and help him kill it.

That’s his job. Keep watch, while she sleeps. Be a sentry so she can rest easy.

The nights are long without her. Lonely without her steps and movements. Just Donnie, sitting, watching, waiting for sunrise.

She won’t talk to him anymore, and talking is hard for Donnie anyways. His tongue feels thick and clumsy. He recalls that he used to be able to talk for hours without trouble. He recalls that he used to talk with April for hours.

He misses that, talking with her, even though it could attract creatures.

Donnie sits quietly, and listens to April’s soft breathing. His own is finally silent, shallow breaths making no sound now that he doesn’t have to force himself to walk anymore.

He stares into the dark, and listens for movement that doesn’t belong. Shuffling footsteps, ragged breathing, moans from mindless creatures…

Mindless creatures. Why would he call them that? They’re just creatures looking for food. Why would he call them mindless?

He forgot why.

Donnie tilts his head, looking at the bo staff in his hands.

Why is he protecting her from the creatures anyways? Why does he care?

Donnie feels hungry. He doesn’t remember when he last ate anything.

He slowly looks at the breathing being beside him. He hears their soft breaths, their beating heart, smells their familiar warm scent-

Donnie blinks, and remembers.

April.

He’s supposed to protect her. Bring her somewhere. To someone.

She’s not for eating. She’s for protecting.

He needs to remember that. Even if he forgets everything else, he needs to remember that.

Donnie watches April’s sides expand and deflate, air moving through her lungs almost inaudibly.

He watches her till morning comes, and then stands with creaking limbs.

A piece of his arm falls off, mottled green falling onto the cement of the warehouse floor. Donnie looks at it, and feels vaguely like he should be concerned.

Why though?

It doesn’t hurt at all.

April’s hand touches his other arm lightly. The one that’s still completely intact. She looks tired and weary, despite resting.

Donnie reaches out to cup her cheek- because April shouldn’t look like that, ever- but she flinches away. Scared.

Donnie doesn’t know why she would be. He’s here to protect her.

April says they should get going, and Donnie follows her outside. The light, he feels, should have warmed his scales.

Donnie doesn’t feel anything, but follows April anyways.

 

 

 

_A piece of him fell off today._

_….shit_

_april you okay_

_that_

_cant have been_

_fuck_

_april_

_april_

_answer me april are you okay_

 

_I’m fine, Raph. Just processing._

_Trying to process._

_fuck_

_Yeah._

_this isnt fair_

_it shouldnt have been don_

_he_

_he didnt deserve this_

_No one deserves this._

_yeah_

_well_

_donnie deserves it a hell of a lot less than everyone else_

There used to be more of them. Donnie knows this.

He’s missing people. Important people. People like him, but not like him.

Different. Whole.

Donnie’s missing something, and not just a piece of his arm anymore. He’s lost something, and he’s forgotten what that was.

He doesn’t dwell on it, instead focusing on protecting April, and keeping what’s left of himself together.

They’re going somewhere. It’s taking days and days, but they’re going somewhere. They were with the others, and then they got lost. Separated from the group.

Donnie got hurt. He got badly hurt. There’s a chunk missing from his shoulder that tells him where he got hurt. A creature. It was a creature. He’d nearly forgotten.

Donnie vaguely remembers pain. Horrible, wrenching pain. He remembers April looking at him, eyes wide and tearful, and aiming something sharp at his neck.

He remembers she didn’t put that sharp something through his neck. Through his spine. He remembers her crying, dropping the blade, and waiting for Donnie’s pain to stop. For her’s to begin.

Donnie remembers the pain stopping, falling asleep, and then waking up again.

He remembers reaching out for April, saying her name with a thick tongue, and trying to hold her.

He remembers she let him. He remembers being hungry, so hungry.

He’d held her, and whispered it would be okay. They would be okay. They were going somewhere, somewhere with people who would help them. People they loved and people who loved them.

April had cried all night, and Donnie hadn’t been able to understand why.

They’d started walking the next day, and Donnie had been confused why walking was suddenly so hard.

 

 

 

_Guys_

_Guys I’m so_

_I’m so sorry_

_I_

_Fuck_

_Donnie got bitten._

_I couldn’t_

_I couldn’t do it._

_I’m sorry._

_I’m_

_I’m so sorry_

_april? what happened???_

 

_Mikey I screwed up._

_God_

_I’m sory_

_Sorry._

_I’m so sorry._

_I couldn’t_

_I couldn’t do it. He asked me to and I couldn’t do it._

_I’m_

_Sorry_

_Fuck._

 

 

 

Donnie walks with April, silent and watchful, until something jumps from around a corner, and goes for her.

He stops the creature, and holds it still for April to finish off. Her long sharp blade goes through its neck, severing its spine, and the creature’s head lolls sideways. Dead.

Donnie drops the dead thing, and starts walking again. April follows, grim and silent as she always is lately. Sludgy blood drips from both of them, but it doesn’t matter. Blood of creatures, unless it gets inside April, is a good thing. It hides her. Hides her from creatures like Donnie, but not like him.

She doesn’t smell as much. As good. Not with the blood on her, covering her.

Its dark red at first, but it turns black soon after. Sometimes it flakes off, and they have to find a creature on purpose to replace it. Donnie does as she asks, and kills the creatures she finds for them.

Something in the back of his head, asks why she doesn’t just use his.

He asks that, clumsily and slowly, and April cries.

He reaches out for her, to comfort her, and she shies away from his touch.

He doesn’t like it when she does that. He doesn’t like it when she cries. It hurts, even though Donnie doesn’t hurt at all anymore. It twists something in his chest, right beside the feeling that he’s lost something.

April wipes away her tears, smearing more brown muck on her cheeks as she does. She doesn’t look at Donnie as they start walking again. She doesn’t look him in the eye much at all anymore.

Donnie follows her though, because he needs to. He needs to keep her safe, even if sometimes he can’t remember why.

 

 

 

_I can’t do this anymore._

_He_

_He asked me to_

_I can’t even say it._

_jesus april_

_whatre you and don talking about out there?_

_He’s_

_He’s far gone, Casey._

_Sometimes he’ll look at me, and I can tell he doesn’t know who I am._

_I don’t think he even remembers his brothers._

_fuck_

_fuck_

_i_

_FUCK_

_He’s still protecting me though._

_yeah well thats one good thing out of this_

_fucking_

_this disaster_

_We’re just a few days out now. We’ll be there soon._

_whatre we supposed to do with don though?_

_we cant_

_i mean_

_he was the one shot we had at a cure_

_I don’t know._

_I just_

_I don’t know anymore._

 

They’re slow moving. Slow because of Donnie, slow because of other like him. If they move fast, they’ll follow, and they’re not like Donnie enough to be safe.

Donnie wants to protect April, but the others want to hurt her. Turn her.

He won’t let that happen.

Days drag on, and April is thinning. She’s tiring. It’s hard, even though Donnie takes none of their food. It’s for April, not him. Donnie doesn’t need to eat.

Not that food, at least.

They find food in buildings, dusty boxes and cans. April is always happy when they find those, and Donnie tries to carry as much as he can in his bags. For her. For the others they’re going to meet.

The others will need food too. Lots of it. They’re bigger than April. Much heavier too. They need food and water and…

Donnie blinks, and remembers his brothers.

His brothers.

_Leo, Raph, Mikey…_

Donnie drops his cans.

How could he have forgotten them? And Casey. Casey too. And his father. _His father and brothers and Casey-_

Something deep in his chest twists like a knife, and Donnie’s heart feels like it thumps again. Just for a second.

It hurts. Donnie hasn’t hurt in so long he almost can’t recognize the feeling of pain.

His- his _brothers,_ his _friend,_ his _father-_

How could he have forgotten? Let the infection take even that from him? Warping not just his body but his _memories and mind too-_

April reaches out, grasping his shoulder for the first time in- days, she hasn’t touched him in days- she’s asking what’s wrong, why is he breathing so harshly, _Donnie, Donnie are you okay? Answer me Donnie-_

The sound of tearing metal distracts them both, as a creature bursts through a grated window in the back of the store.

And then another.

And another.

A swarm, dormant from lack of prey, comes running out of the store’s back room. Headed straight for-

-April.

Donnie’s thoughts reroute, and then there’s nothing but the need to _protect_ and to _fight._

The creatures ignore him, aiming only for April, and that gives Donnie the advantage. They’re mindless. He’s not. Not yet.

He extends the blade in his staff- one that still has evidence from the last time he did- and he slashes through the front runners.

In the small aisle, its chaos for only a few split seconds. Bodies and body parts flying everywhere. Donnie doesn’t have enough room for a perfect arcing swing every time, but he makes due with short range stabs. He just has to keep them off April. It doesn’t matter if they hurt him, he’s not salvageable anymore anyways-

April shrieks, and Donnie whirls to see why.

A hulking creature, bigger than all the rest, is holding her. Its ignoring how April’s blade steadily slices through its restraining arm, but as April struggles its teeth get closer and closer to her neck-

Donnie lunges with his staff, and gets the creature in the head. Right into the brain. One of the only ways to kill them correctly.

April falls with the dead body, and hits her head on the metal shelf as she does.

Donnie doesn’t have time to check her, because the other creatures are still attacking.

He dispatches them. One by one, without any pauses or breaks. He doesn’t tire anymore, because he’s always tired. Always tired except for when he’s close to April, but even then-

Donnie finishes the last creature, and stands. Breathing raggedly.

What was he thinking about before this happened?

He’d been upset about something. What had he been upset about?

He can’t remember.

Wait.

April.

Check on April.

Donnie drops his staff, and kneels beside April. He turns her onto her side, checking for infected cuts or bites.

She has none. No blood got close to her orifices or cuts. There’s just a swelling mark on the side of her head. Donnie touches it, and April groans weakly.

There’s blood leaking from a cut on that swell. That’s not good. It’ll attract creatures again.

Donnie fumbles with the medical supplies- he remembers that he used to do this easily, nimble fingers and quick thoughts- and he carefully cleans and bandages April’s head.

She’s not waking up still. He checks her eyes, and then tries to remember why he was doing that.

She’s breathing still, and doesn’t smell like him or the creatures. Not yet.

He- he needs to take her somewhere. To people who can help her. Protect her.

Donnie relieves one of the headless creatures of their thick jacket, and bundles April’s small body in it. He gently lifts her up, and takes her away from the gory scene. He barely notices the blood scent on her, with the filthy coat covering most of it.

He knows where to go. He can hold onto that, even if he feels he’s forgotten other important things.

April remains asleep in his arms, and Donnie walks.

 

 

 

_yo april_

_april_

_april_

_where you at girl?_

_youve been awol for like_

_a whole day_

_april_

_april_

_fuck_

_april?? please answer_

_seriously youre scaring us_

_april_

_fuck_

_donnie I don’t know if you can still read or know what a phone even IS_

_but please_

_please dont_

_dont hurt her_

_okay?_

_i_

_i cant imagine_

_youd feel so bad bro_

_i know you would_

_fuck_

_donnie im sorry this happened_

_just_

_bring her home to us_

_please_

_we_

_were gonna take care of you guys_

_promise_

_just come through for us one more time_

_please dee_

_please_

 

 

 

Donnie’s been walking for a long while now, so long that they’ve already crossed the area April was worried about.

There were creatures everywhere. Standing still or shuffling aimlessly. The only sounds they’d made were raspy breaths and quiet moans.

They hadn’t even looked at Donnie, his own shuffling steps blending in perfectly. April was safe in his arms the whole time. Still sleeping, but hidden from the creatures by the coat and Donnie.

They’re so close now. He just needs to keep walking, and they’ll reach his-

The people. The people who can help April.

Donnie adjusts his arms, not feeling tired at all of carrying April, and keeps walking.

It takes a whole day, and a whole night, before they reach it.

Or- Donnie thinks they’re still a ways out from their destination. Why are there people meeting them out here? There’s creatures here. They shouldn’t put themselves in danger like that.

They look like Donnie. Most of them.

Who are they? Donnie hasn’t seen others like him before, not since-

Wait, wait yes he has, they’re-

They’re his _brothers._

They’re his brothers and he’s missed them and he loves them and they love him and April and-

-why are they pointing their weapons at him?

The biggest- Raph, his name is Raph- looks distressed. Angry. Scared. Why are they all scared? He’s staring with apprehension at Donnie. “Shit. Shit I know she said it’d be bad, but- _shit.”_

“Donnie, put her down,” The tallest, after Donnie that is- Leo. His big brother. That’s Leo. Why is Leo pointing his sword at Donnie like that? “You can put her down now. We just need to- to check her over. Put… her... down.”

Donnie blinks slowly, and looks at April in his arms.

She looks back up at him. When had she woken up?

“Put me down, Donnie,” She whispers. “You can put me down now. We’re here.”

Donnie listens to her, and sets her on her feet.

Immediately, chains fly out and around him. He doesn’t have time to ask why, before Leo’s sword is right in front of his face, and the smallest person- turtle, smallest turtle not person- and that’s _Mikey,_ his one little brother- is holding him back. With chains.

Why?

Donnie looks at the point of Leo’s blade, and tries to figure out what’s happening.

Where’s April?

“April…?” He asks, tilting his head to see past his brother. “April, wha’sss… wha’s wrong? I… did I do something…? Guys…? Leo, why are you… why are you pointing your… sssword at me?”

Leo doesn’t answer. He’s staring at Donnie with- horror. Why is he horrified?

“April?” Donnie asks again. He pulls lightly against the chains holding him. “Guys, why’re you… why the chains? April? April? April, where did you…”

She’s there, behind Leo, behind Raph. She’s tightly grasping the arm of Casey’s sweater. She’s shaking.

Donnie doesn’t know why she’s shaking. She’s safe, isn’t she? They both are.

He pulls at the chains again, wondering still why they’re there.

“That’s not Donnie,” Raph says, low and harsh. He’s clutching his sais tightly, hands shaking. “That _thing_ is not my brother.”

Donnie turns to look at him, confused. “But… who else would I be? Raph? Raph, why’re you… why’re you all ssscared?”

Mikey makes a choked sound, and Donnie frowns. No, no this is supposed to be good. They’re supposed to be happy he and April came home to them. Why are they upset?

“Guys?” Donnie turns his head, looking at all of them. “Guys, why am I- why the chains? April? April why are you- s’posed to be happy, we’re supposed to be happy now-”

“Leo. Do it.” Raph says, voice tight and angry. “Just do it already.”

Donnie blinks, and remembers there’s a blade aimed at his head. He looks down it, up at his brother. When had Donnie knelt on the ground-?

“I… I _can’t,”_ Leo chokes out, his blade shaking in his hands. “I _can’t._ He’s- he’s still- April, you didn’t say he _still knew us -”_

“He didn’t. He _didn’t._ I was sure-” April covers her mouth, still not looking at Donnie. “He didn’t know you a few days ago. I don’t know why he does n-now. I’m sorry.”

Donnie’s head feels soupy, and he lists to the side as he stares around Leo at April. “April… why’re you… April please, tell them to let me go. April. April. April-”

“Raph.” Casey says. Looking hard at Donnie, hand clutching a bloodied hockey stick. His voice is strained. His eyes are glossy. Why? “Make him stop talking. Please.”

“Guys-? What did I- I’m sorry, what did I do wrong?” Donnie asks, as Raph approaches him, pushing Leo and his shaking sword aside. Donnie looks up at his brother, brow furrowing. “Raph? Raph, what did I do wrong? I brought her home.”

“I know.” Raph says, reaching out and holding Donnie’s skull. “I know you did. I’m sorry.”

“What? Why are you-”

Raph pushes his head forwards, baring the back of Donnie’s neck. Donnie feels something sharp press to his spine, and he doesn’t know why.

“Raph- Raph wait, please, stop-”

“I have to, Donnie. We- we won’t do this to you. We’re not gonna let you live like this.”

“Raph, Raph no- April? April please, please tell them to stop- I didn’t- what did I do wrong? April, April please-”

April turns her eyes away from Donnie, clutching Casey’s arm and Leo’s hand. Mikey is sobbing, the chains around Donnie shaking as he does.

“Guys- April-? Please, no-”

Raph makes a soft, broken sound, and pushes the sharp thing into Donnie’s neck.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i hope all of your feelings are as murdered as mine were when my brain thought of this idea.


End file.
